Source: Jason Miller / Getty
Midway through the third quarter at the Cavs’ home game, Brooks had his layup blocked at the rim and was knocked to the floor.
As he rolled over, he swung his hand and hit
Donovan Mitchell in the groin. The hit prompted an immediate reaction from Mitchell, who chucked the ball at Brooks as he fell to the floor. Mitchell immediately got up, shoved the Grizzlies player in the chest, and threw him down before the two started tussling. Before it got too violent, team staff and players intervened on the sidelines as referees tried to cool down both parties.
After the altercation, a lengthy review led to Brooks getting hit with a flagrant two foul for the groin swipe and was ejected while Mitchell was also thrown out of the game.
Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff defended his player after the game, calling Brooks’ actions a “cheap shot.”
“If someone makes a play like that, you have the right to stand up for yourself … We don’t have guys that start sh-t, but we have guys who don’t run from sh-t,” Bickerstaff said
via Locked On Cavs‘ Evan Dammarell.
Mitchell spoke candidly about the moment in the post-game press conference, citing that he and Brooks have a history.
“That’s just who he is. We’ve seen it a bunch in this league with him,” Mitchell said. “He and I have had our personal battles for years. I’ve been busting his ass for years … There’s no place for that in the game. You have to protect yourself at the end of the day. It’s complete bullsh-t to be honest with you. When you start doing cheap sh-t like that, that ain’t it.”
See how Twitter’s reacting to the fight below:
